Car-holding ratchet



C.. Wb WATKINS.

CAR HOLDING RATCHET.

APPLICATION FILED EEB.19.1921.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

7 qu. 2G

A Charles W. WOikyS INVENTOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

CHARLES WALTER WATKINS, OF DORRANCETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-HOLDING RATCHET.

T all whom# may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WV. VVATKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dorranceton, Kingston Station, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Holding Ratchets, of which Y the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to car-holding ratchets for car hauls of mines, pleasure railways and the like.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will eifectually prevent downward movement of. a car, or analogous device upon inclines, and is particularly devised for preventing the accidental return ofa car down an incline up which it is being hauled. y

A further object of the Ainvention is to provide a device of this character which may be applied to trestles and the like without cutting away of the framework thereoffso that the structure of the trestle is Vnot altered in .such manner as to permit articles falling from the .car to pass therethrough.

'A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which maybe employed as a guard rail to keep the cars on the track. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of such construction that it may be installed in assembled sections by the simple .expedient of bolting down the sections on the inclined plane upon which they are to beemployed.

A still further object of lthe invention is to provide a device of this character embodying'ratchet teeth pivotally mountedupon a suitable supporting member, Ythe ratchet teeth being of such structure .that they assist one another in their return movements from the `ino erative to the operative positions.

Further objects and advantages ofthe invention will become apparent throughout the course of the following description.

f In the .accompanyingdrawings., wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a I preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout,

Figure 1 is `a side elevation partly in sec tion showing my ratchet device `apl'ilied to Specification of Letters Patent. Patented DIar, 14 1922, Application led February 19, 1921.

Serial No. 446,286.

an inclined railway, the solid lines indicating the position of the ratchet members when the engaging member carried by the vehicle is initially depressing one of the ratchet members, the dotted lines illustrating the posit-ion assumed by the members upon a continuation of the depression;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan View thereof;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the guard rail plate which may be secured to the incline 11 upon which it is employedin any desired manner, this being shown in the presenty instance as comprising the bolt 12 extending through the struct-ure of the plate, the guard rail and through a metal face plate 13 arranged upon the upper surface of the guard plate.

Formed in one side of the guard rail 10 are recesses combining with the plate to form spaced inclined walls 14. Ratchet tooth members are provided each comprising a counterweighted portion 15 and a tooth portion 16, the counterweighted portions 15 being provided withy a face 17 adapted to engage against the inclined face 14 of the The upper ends of normal position and this tendency to overthrow is eifectually prevented by the coaction by the upper ends 14a'of the inclined walls with the ratchet members as described.

LPivot bolts 18 extend through the counterweighted portions 15 of the ratchet tooth members and each embody an enlarged head 19 engaging the side face of the counterweighted portion 15 and the pivot portion 20 upon which the ratchet ltooth member rotates. This pivot portion 2O is `rediimd `to i so and forms a shoulder which abuts a washer 2l against the face of the guard plate l0 within the recesses,the reduced portionof the boltv '18 extending through the guard plate 10 and being secured thereto by a nut 22 countersunk in the opposite face of the guard plate. Y

In instances where the ratchet members are ysuiciently closely spaced-` as upon sharp incline, the tooth portions 16 of the ratchet members are made ofsuiicient length that ,thepoint or bill 23 thereof overhangs or falls withinV the ath of movement of the extremity'24 of'vtie counterweighted portion l5 of the next succeeding ratchet member. By thisarrangement I am'enabled to overcome any tendency of the ratchet members to remain in the-inoperative position, a condition often occurring in mine railways where a considerable'amount of dust is precipitated from` the cars upon the ratchet members by reason of the fact that the point or bill 23 lying in the path of movement of the rear end of the counterweighted portion is engaged by this counterwoighted portion asV the same moves to inoperative position and is accordingly given an initial return movement towardlinoperative position sufiicient to bring into playthe full weightof the lcounterweight to complete the return movement. In order that the ratchet members may be properly lubricated l form in Y the counterweighted portion l5 thereof an Vsus oil opening 16a communicating with the bore in which the portion 2O of the bolt 18 vextends.'Y

. In the operation of my device as the car passes on upwardly the next tooth is depressed, rst imparting to the first tooth an'initial impulse to'return the same to the operative position withithe tooth 1G thereof in position to engage the axle A in event of rearward movementof the car. This operation is repeated by each tooth in turn as the 'car'passes overV the ratchet and if the car is provided with a plurality of tooth engagingmembers the operation is repeated at the passage of each ,engaging member th'ereover. Particular attention is drawn to the' fact that the movement of the ratchet members in both directions ispositively limited, thereby preventing the ratchet members, when moving to the inoperative position, beingoverbalanced in such a manner tion.

that Athey will remain inthe inoperative posi v ,"'While Iihavedescribed the use of but a single"guard/'plate and ratchet mechanism, it willb'e obviousthat where desired a plu? rality of these plates may be employed having `their 'teeth arrangedA in staggered relation lso that thefrearward movement of which a car may partakebe'fore it isV engaged by one of Vthe "teeth may 'be reduced tov any 'de-A sired limit. 1

It will further be obvious from the foregoing that myratchet mechanism is particularly well adaptedfor use in connection with car hauls of the type described by reason of the fact that the teeth of the ratchet coact to shift one Vanother from the'inoperative to the operative 'position and by reasonV of the fact that the wall le positively limits the movement of the ratchet members in both directions, thereby assuring correct positioning of the ratchet members. Since the structure as hereinbefore set forth is Vcapable of some change and modification without jmateriallyV departing from the spirit of my invention, l do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed. 'Y f ""Whatl claim is: Y l

l. The combination with .a vehicle operating upon artrack, of a guard plate arranged adjacent the track, a plurality of pivotal members carried by the guard plate normally barring passage of the vehicle in one direction and shifting about theirpivots to permit passage ofthe vehicle inthe opposite direction, each of said members when it'is shifted engaging'the 'precedingmeml ber to' return Vthe same to normal' position.

2. The combination with a vehicle'operating upon atrack, ofa guardY plate arranged adjacent the track andprovifded in 4oneside face thereofy with recesses formingspaced inclined'side walls, amember pivotally connected with the guard plate adjacentV each of said inclined walls and each embodying a portion adapted to engage the wall whereby its'pi'votalmovement is limited, said members barring passage of the vehicle when said portions are in engagement withA said .inclined walls, said members when shifted about their pivots to move the said portions from engagement with said inclined walls 1' spaced inclined walls, ratchet members ,piv-

otallly connected with the guard plate adjacent, each of saidinclined walls and each embodyingv a counterweightportion andr a tooth'fp'ortion, said ratchet members when intheoperative positionl havingthe tooth f portions lthereof positioned to bar passage ofthe vehicle upon the track in one direction, said connterweighted portionsgeach embodying a'face engaging its coacting inclined wall whenthe ratchet member in the operative position, said ratchet'"membersl being; engaged 'byl the vehicle in moving'in'the opposite' direction to'be shifted thereby to'inoperative position, said ratchet members embodying portions engaging the upper end of the coacting inclined wall when the ratchet members move to the inoperative position whereby such movement is limited, the bill of the tooth portions of each of said ratchet members lying in the path of movement of the counterweighted portion of the next succeeding ratchet member when the ratchet member is in the inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

CHARLES WALTER WATKINS. 

